Grant Boosts Programming at YDL’s Superior Branch

by Sam Killian

Since Superior Township first joined the library district in 2007, the Library Board has been committed
to expanding service in the area by building a third full-service library. The new 7,800 square-foot
facility was built on 4.25 acres of land purchased from Superior Township for $1.00. The new library at 1900 Harris Road replaced the tiny, 1,000 square foot “temporary” library on MacArthur Boulevard that opened in 2007. It is open six days a week, doubling the hours of the current location.

A generous grant from the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation will make 2023 programming at YDL’s new Superior branch even more enriching. In December, the library received $18,000 to help develop partnerships and expand programming to empower children and families. The funds will purchase materials and supplies, support partnerships with local non- profits, and fund presenters to bring popular programs to Superior.

“Patrons are eager to see popular programs such as our Lunch, Listen and Learn, Intergenerational Learning, and Garden to Table finally offered in Superior,” said Superior Branch Manager Mary Garboden.
Expanding on YDL’s partnerships with organizations like Black Men Read, Black and Brown Theatre, and the Leslie Science and Nature Center will help make the new Superior branch the community hub the area wants and needs.

“The library is hugely important as an educational site, a job and computer center, a meeting place, and a hub of community building,” said Garboden. “New and expanded programming will strengthen the community and serve as a catalyst for greater opportunities for underserved residents.”

In 2017, the Washtenaw County Health Department identified MacArthur Blvd. as a neighborhood where unjust health disparities exist and more engagement is needed. Residents most often proposed a community center that brings people together as the solution. With plans for a new Community Center also in the works, the new Superior Branch can be a part of a long-term strategy to bring local residents resources they deserve.

As a trusted community asset, one single mom noted, “This library is the best thing in our neighborhood.”

Based on pre-COVID building usage numbers, these enrichments could double the door count and materials circulation, quadruple program attendance, and triple computer usage. The previous 1,000 square-foot space was often at capacity with computers and events. The new 7,800 square foot space is
designed to better meet the community’s needs. Staff have already begun coordinating with program partners, and purchasing items to enhance early literacy skills and imaginative play, art supplies, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math tools that can be used immediately.

“These new programs launching at the new branch from the get go will help attract more families, and make library use a habit!” Garboden said.

The new library features:
• A youth area with flexible space that can be adapted to a range of learning activities and programs
for different ages
• A dedicated teen/tween area
• Two group study rooms
• Comfortable seating for reading and studying
• A community meeting room for Library programs and meetings of community groups
• 22 computer workstations (compared to seven at the old library)
• Triple the number of books, magazines, and DVDs
• More parking spaces
• An outdoor reading area and programming space
• A drive-up book return available 24 hours seven days a week